Read the latest news about research conducted by investigators in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Our faculty and students are continually advancing technology, creating solutions and expanding knowledge with new and innovative research.
Science communication focus of 2017 Lattman Lecture given by meteorology alumnus
10/03/2017
10/03/2017
Jim Steenburgh, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah and Penn State alumnus, will give the 2017 Lattman Visiting Scholar of Science and Society Lecture. His talk, titled "Communicating Science in the 21st Century: Personal and Political Challenges and Opportunities," will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum on the ground floor of Deike Building. The event is free and open to the public.
Future of electric vehicles to be discussed on WPSU’s 'Digging Deeper' on Oct. 8
09/29/2017
09/29/2017
Penn State President Eric J. Barron will welcome professor Chao-Yang Wang and graduate fellow Ryan Longchamps from the Penn State BEST Center to discuss the advancements in lithium battery technology and the future of electric vehicles during the next episode of WPSU's "Digging Deeper." The show will air at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8 on WPSU-TV.
Baka awarded fellowship to study impact of petrochemical plant on community
09/27/2017
09/27/2017
Jennifer Baka, assistant professor in the department of geography, has been at Penn State for a little more than a year, but she has a lifetime of experience assessing the implications of energy. She grew up in a coal mining region of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and watching the relationship a rural community has with a global enterprise factored into her choice to become an energy geographer. It's a field that combines political and industrial ecology to look at how energy projects impact all segments of society.
Researchers take tips from 'Twister' to chase elusive storm data
09/20/2017
09/20/2017
Some great ideas are born out of years of painstaking research. Others are gleaned from the plotline of the movie "Twister."
Research grant to help students learn what goes on beneath Earth's surface
09/19/2017
09/19/2017
Getting to the core of the problem of teaching young students about the dynamic Earth is the impetus of a four-year, $2.8 million grant awarded to Penn State Associate Professor Scott McDonald.
Fellowship allows graduate student to follow mom's footsteps into public service
09/11/2017
09/11/2017
After defending her dissertation in August, meteorology graduate student Caroline Normile entered public service in September to share her scientific perspective in a U.S. Congress member's office, through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship program.
Report addresses flooding and flood insurance impacts on rural Pennsylvania
09/07/2017
09/07/2017
A newly released report examines how flooding and recent changes to the federal flood insurance program are impacting rural Pennsylvania in unique ways.
Flying down to Rio
09/05/2017
09/05/2017
In the Rio Studio, advanced architecture and landscape architecture students used digital technology, including virtual reality, to explore design solutions for a Brazilian favela. Jose Duarte, Stuckeman Chair in Design Innovation at Penn State, has long been interested in how these unplanned communities take shape, and how they evolve. What are the hidden rules that underlie their emergence and growth? By decoding these rules, he says, we can both improve existing settlements and better face the design challenges of the future.
NASA Space Grant project livestreams eclipse from near-space
08/18/2017
08/18/2017
Millions will be watching Monday, Aug. 21, as the moon eclipses the sun, darkening a large swath of the United States. People from Oregon to South Carolina will witness a total eclipse, a rare phenomenon not seen in the U.S. since 1979. Others in the continental U.S. and beyond will be treated to a partial eclipse. But if you can't make it outside Monday, you'll still have a chance to witness something special -- a livesteam featuring videos and photos of the eclipse from high above the Earth.
Beese awarded for additive manufacturing research, mentoring
08/17/2017
08/17/2017
Allison Beese, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, recently earned the International Outstanding Young Researcher in Freeform and Additive Manufacturing Award for research accomplishments related to additive manufacturing of metallic materials.